Productivity software such as iLife, Microsoft Office, Google Docs, and Apache OpenOffice have become the number one used applications for students to communicate, compute, create, and collaborate. Interestingly, as these applications update with new features, we don’t always have an opportunity to explore them. As a result, we’re asking the collaborative genius of our community to share its knowledge of productivity applications. How would you complete the phrase, “I bet you didn’t know ______ application did ______.” Don’t forget to share some insight of how you could use that feature with students, as well.

During the first week, we would like for you post cool features of your favorite WordProcessingApplications (Microsoft Word, iWork Pages, Google Docs, OpenOffice Writer, Adobe Acrobat). The second week we will focus on Presentation Applications (Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Presentations, OpenOffice Impress, iWork Keynote) and then during the third week we will focus on Spreadsheet Applications (Microsoft Excel, Google Spreadsheets, OpenOffice Calc, iWork Numbers). As a wrap up, week Four will be a WildCard Week, where you share one feature from another productivity suite application (for example, Microsoft Publisher, OpenOffice Math, Google Draw, Adobe Illustrator) and tell us what it does.

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Having just completed a Google Search Online course, I did what any "student" would do.... I Googled "microsoft word 2010 tricks" and clicked on several links. Yeah, having used Office for years I knew a lot, with one of my favorite activities is wrapping text around pictures... however, I never knew something listed in one of these links!

When placing pictures inside of text has always been a challenge for students, so when they discover the "tight" feature of wrapping text, the work starts to look more professional and smooth. Altering the pictures with the above hints would improve the finished product even more!

I had used the snipping tool from accessories to access and trim pictures from websites. Instead of having to open another program, Word 2010 allows you to use a screen shot to do the same thing.

It allows you to give specific directions and helpful hints to students about how to use a certain website or program. I've used it for helpful hints for students and parents logging onto our remote desktop and hints at how to navigate other issues that arise.

I bet you didn't know that you can add your own, customized tab to the ribbon and add your own commands in Microsoft Word. Instead of having to click all over the place to get the tools I need, I create a Tab called "Julie's Stuff" with the commands I use on a regular basis.

To do this, right-click on the commands in any tab in the ribbon-home, insert, page layout, etc and select Customize the Ribbon. When the menu opens, create a New Tab (on the right column) and rename it whatever you would like. From there, you will select the commands you would like to add to your individualized tab found in the left column. Use the drop-down menu to find all of your choices. Just click on the command and click the Add button to move it to your new tab.

This is a little known feature but one that comes in handy when you use the same commands repeatedly.

In Microsoft Word you can also customize the Quick Access Toolbar. You know the one, where you can find the shortcuts to save, undo, redo and add a new doc in the upper left-hand corner of the window.

To customize the Quick Access Toolbar just right click on the commands in any tab This time select Customize the Quick Access Toolbar. This will open a window where you can add or delete any command you would like. Use the drop down menu in the left column to access all commands Be sure to check out the Commands Not In The Ribbon option too. There are some handy commands that aren't normally in view.

I bet you didn’t know that Google doc’s application can beshared and edited by other people and the editing can be seen by those thedocument is shared with. Therefore, if Iassign work on a project that students have to compile a list of items relatedto law, each student can access the same document and edit it yet still onlyturn in one paper. I can then see who’sworked on it by looking at the history of the document. Better yet, they don’t have to print it off;they can just share it with the teacher and turn it in. Google docs helps go paperless!

Also have you ever copied and pasted web addresses into aword document or email then sent it to yourself so you can find themagain? Google docs allows you to savethe website so you can return to it later! Love it!

If you have PowerPoint 2010, you can trim a video within the program itself. I have used it to trim video clips to fit the topic that I am discussing. Previously, I would edit the file with Movie Maker, but the new feature makes it much easier. My students have used it in their multimedia presentations as well. It is a great feature.

You can also fade in and out from the menu. You can also bookmark places to stop. If someone knows how to trim an embedded video, please let me know. I also like how easy it is to make it go to full screen and adjust the volume.

If you use the format option under the video tools, it will allow for different looking players and nice finishing touches to make your presentation lift to the next level.

You can change the image from just the black screen of most videos to a picture of your choice using Poster Frame. You can choose the various designs for a player. You can make it look older or fresher by using the color fixture. The video effects pull down menu will give you many options to display the video even at an angle. I am looking forward to the changes with 2013 release.

Did You know that in Pages you can have word processing, add spreadsheets, add pictures, and meld all of them together to make the fit seamlessly in to a presentation. I love that I can fit pictures into my word processing so that they are a part of a presentation. If you go to document set up, margins can be changed as needed.

I can also save my pages as a word document if I know that I am going to be working on it with my PC also. If I take a screen shot of my work I then can put it in my powerpoint, or any other program that will take a picture.

Prezi can have videos, pictures, text, and others all imported like PowerPoint. You can also now import from PowerPoint into Prezi!!! YES!!! Prezi also has an app for the IPad! I feel like it does take more time to work. However, you save it online and there fore can access it anywhere! Lovin Technology!

You can use Prezi with a number of things for your students. A presentation on bugs, presidents, cell respiration, just about anything.

Love the Collaboration in PREZI. As a teacher I can watch students work and ask questions, sort of a built in chat room.

Thinglink is a great way to present information differently than the linear PowerPoint. Similar to Google Map or Lit Trip, you start with a picture with "hot spots" that then navigate to additional information. Great seeing the overview and then drill down for additional information.

Thanks for the link on present information. I can see the usefulness of the Thinglink. I am struggling to find the ways to use Prezi in a presentation format. It seems interesting, but more of an online poster similar to glogster. With the embedding capabilities and other functions, I keep going back to PowerPoint because the presentations seem to be more focused rather than a hodge podge. I would love to see the examples where students could make smooth transitions and get their point across using this other resources.

As with any technology you have to consider two things: what do you want to do, and how good are you at doing it.

PowerPoint is very powerful if done correctly. Here is a website that gives you more than the basics. The usual problem with PowerPoint is that it is linear and it does not give a continual overview of the action. Again, refer to the link mentioned to change this.

I did a search in PREZI on several topics and found some students' work that took advantage of the zoom in/zoom out/ feature that really sets PREZI apart from PowerPoint. If you do not need this "discovery" aspect, stay with PowerPoint.

Google Spreadsheet has a great visualization gadget called motion gadget. This detailed Youtube video shows how to create it and what it looks like. Here are some charts made through Gapminder, but it is the same end result.

I thought I would share a presentation tool that might be new to some of you. Primary Access http://www.primaryaccess.org/ is "a suite of free online tools that allows students and teachers to use primary source documents to complete meaningful and compelling learning activities with digital movies, storyboards, rebus stories and other online tools."

This is the only tool I know of where you can use primary source documents and create a product all within one site. Teachers can easily set up accounts for their students and best of all, it is free.

"No software or login is required. No design skill needed. No community to join. Just visit the Tackk home page and start typing. When you're done creating your Tackk, you can immediately share it with friends in your social networks or the internet at large. It's no more complicated than tacking a flier to the coffee shop bulletin board."

Tackk is SUPER easy to use! Here is one that I created in minutes to use at my training session as an opener: http://tackk.com/tdoj7c

Teachers and students can use Tackk in every content area. I would love to see some student examples if you use it with students.

If you type that in Word and hit the Enter key, Word will instantly create 8 paragraphs of text. The number of paragraphs is controlled by the number in parentheses. It is a great way to get a page full of text for feature demonstrations.

Did you know that Keynote is so easy to make objects animate. Here are directions on how to make something look animated in Keynote.

Animations and effects

Standing ovation highly likely.

With your choice of more than 25 transitions, including 3D transitions, you’re sure to keep their eyes riveted to the screen as you move from one slide to the next. Apply the Magic Move transition and a repeated object, such as your class name, automatically changes location, scale, opacity, and rotation across consecutive slides.

Text and object animations are a compelling way to punctuate your message. Morph text on one slide into text on the next slide. Build your slide one bullet point, table row, or chart series at a time. Or have it all appear at once, entering stage left or spinning onto the screen. You can fine-tune your animations by setting the duration, choosing which element is affected first, and defining the animation path along a straight line or a curve.

I am working on a keynote for one of my hearing impaired ELL students. I have only completed the magic move on some of the pages. I will try to attach my Keypoint.

I bet you didn't know that you can import data directly from the web in Excel. Open Excel, click on data tab. From the menu, on the left side, select "from web." This will open up a menu where you will copy/paste the URL from the online data source. One your source page appears click the box next to the data you wish to import (directions are written in the menu to follow) and click import. In the next menu box click OK> This will place the data into the Excel spreadsheet.

That's not all! If your data source is constantly updating the data you can set Excel to automatically import the newest data. Click the Properties icon in the same Data tab and set the "refresh every" to whatever time you would like your data to be refreshed.

This would have been so COOL as the election returns were being counted! How else might you use this Excel feature?

Best you didn't know that in Microsoft Excel when you want to add multiple lines of text to a given cell just hold down Alt and hit Enter and you will insert a line break in a cell to split your text up in a more readable fashion. Technically, you’re also turning on “Wrap Text” for the affected cell as well.

I bet you didn't know that you can use if/then statements as functions of MS Excel to show student progress!

Basically, you would set up a simple gradebook but add the if/then statement so that if any percentages are entered that are failing, that that cell would color itself red to get your attention about who needs help in the class.

You can also set the function up so that 90's, 80's and so forth are different colors so that you can see how the student grades are progressing.

Did you know that if you download google gears (http://gears.google.com) you can edit docs word processing documents offline, and docs automaically syncs them with the online version the next time you sign in?

"With all this now available in HTML5, it’s finally time to say goodbye to Gears. There will be no new Gears releases, and newer browsers such as Firefox 4 and Internet Explorer 9 will not be supported. We will also be removing Gears from Chrome in Chrome 12."

Week 4: Wild Card. I bet you didn't know that Google Draw is collaborative. Students can draw their picture, and can have another student edit or add to their drawing. This increases collaboration between students, and can even be used to learn about other people and cultures around the world by connecting with other classrooms across the world. In a similar way, Google Chrome's app DrawItLive also allows collaboration between 2 or more people in real time, and allows them to chat as well.

I bet you didn't know that you can add a Suduko puzzle to a Google spreadsheet. Just create a spreadsheet and click insert-script and click on Fun and Games. Search for Sudoku and install the script. Afterwards sudoku will be added to your menu bar. CAUTION- Only download scripts from reliable sources!

i bet you did not know that Google Chrome has an app feature where you can download apps when you open a new tab, click on apps at the bottom and you have access to a large number of mobile apps on your desk top.